Nio has initiated trial operations of its 150-kWh semi-solid battery pack, with official operations of the ultra-long-range battery pack set to commence in June, the company announced today.
The trial operations of the 150-kWh battery pack will be conducted from May 1-31 exclusively for Nio Destination, the company’s destination car rental service, according to a statement posted on the Nio App.
Customers renting a Nio vehicle for three days or more during May 1-31 will have the opportunity to experience the 150-kWh battery pack, with availability randomly distributed among different models in various cities.
Lucky customers who are assigned a model with the 150-kWh battery pack will not incur additional costs for the extra-long range battery pack during the trial period.
Starting June 1, the 150-kWh battery pack will be officially available for Nio owners to rent on a daily basis. The base price for the 150-kWh battery pack rental is RMB 150 ($21) per day for the first seven days, and RMB 100 per day for the 100-kWh model. After the initial seven days, customers will need to pay an additional RMB 50 per day for the 150-kWh pack.
Nio stated that for most users, the standard 70/75kWh packs are sufficient for regular trips, and the 150-kWh pack will only be necessary in rare cases. The company emphasized the flexibility of its upgradeable daily rental program, allowing users to experience the value of Nio’s chargeable, swappable, and upgradeable battery technology at a lower cost.
The 150-kWh semi-solid-state battery pack was announced by Nio at the unveiling of the ET7 sedan at the January 9, 2021 Nio Day 2020 event. The cells for the battery pack are supplied by Beijing WeLion New Energy Technology, a local startup that began delivering 360 Wh/kg lithium battery cells to Nio on June 30, 2023.
While the 150-kWh battery pack is currently costly due to its new technology, Nio expects it to be in service starting in late April, with founder, chairman, and CEO William Li confirming some output of the battery pack. In previous tests, the 150-kWh battery pack demonstrated impressive range capabilities, achieving 1,044 kilometers of driving with 36 kilometers of remaining range in a range challenge conducted by Li.
